lung, a tree branch in a woman's neck, and all the other thing that make us say, no way. good afternoon. i'm norah o'donnell live in washington. "the big picture," the first lady is adding her voice to the fight for health care reform buffalo she is taking a unique approach to the health care debate. she is pushing the need for health care reform as a women's issue. she said women have a big stake in this debate because of their role at home? in the workplace. >> women are affected because of the jobs that we do in this economy. we all know that women are more likely to work part time or to work in small companies or businesses that don't provide any insurance at all. women are affected because as we heard in many states, insurance companies can still discriminate because of gender.

>> the chief white house correspondent, chuck todd, why has the white house decided to use or deploy michelle obama in this way? >> well, look, they're trying to say that they're only really deploying her this one time. they're saying this won't be a regular thing. but throughout this whole health care debate, i was struck by something somebody else noticed and it is something i've seen throughout not just health care but through the stimulus. there is no other surrogate here for the president to push health care. he has nobody on capitol hill that has been a good spokesperson for him on health care. you know, there are some people that argue that secretary clinton could be but you can't do that with your secretary of state. so joe biden, you know, he was just in iraq. he has a whole other full plate. so in many ways, this is a white house sort of admitting, they don't have a second surrogate on these, use. and i think they have to be careful though on how often they

deploy her. it is a gee whiz moment now because we haven't seen her really do anything more than really dip her toe into a political fight or a policy fight. but you know, it will be interesting to see if they do it more. my guess is they say no and my guess is that is probably what ends up happening. >> no doubt. chuck, let me ask but the president sitting down with the number of the sun morning anchors, a television blitz. there are some critics out there who say the president risks overexposure. what is the white house response to that? >> the white house will say they've that it a bunch of time. that this is a beltway obsession. this idea of overexposure and it is a thing they learn in the campaign. that it is so hard to touch everybody you want to touch that you'll have to try. you're going to have to try a whole bunch of methods. a whole bunch of program if you want to make sure you're getting all of the potential people in your target audience. so i think that's the strategy

they're deploying. may guess is the president himself might be a little exhausted from all these interviews. one thing they do, they take a lot of the president. so i would not be surprised if they pull back over the next couple weeks, simply because he himself, do you want to have him, do you want to use his time doing that or do you need to use his time doing some other thing? >> shuck, monica here. i have a quick question for you, going back to the first lady speaking today. i wonder if you've heard anything on this. she never, when she spoke, she never mentioned her own background as a hospital administrator. and i found it curious, on the one hand, i understood that she was there more as a mom giving the heart to this argument. but this is something that is clearly relevant so it made me think there had to have been some discussion and someone had to make the decision to say no, we aren't going to this. >> if you want to read a between the line, it is a very fair thing to point out. and it it does show that they really are trying to be careful and they don't want to necessarily have folks interpret

the first lady as doing some sort of political event. if she had talked about her back ground as a hospital administrator, then that's when that turns into making it a political argument, to getting into the policy debate itself. and i think this allowed her to stay a little above it, to dip her toe into the health care debate a little bit, get some attention for it tonight, all of the newscasts and it will get some attention, but it still canada her somewhat above the political fray. >> hey, you're also our political director so you know all about the political polls. when it comes to swing voters, women, how much does the president need some beefing one women voters when it comes to his health care reform agenda? >> well, if you look at some of where his number have dipped, we've looked at the nbc "wall street journal" poll, a lot over the last couple months and seen this trend. he is hurting with a couple of swing groups. suburban women. basically working women.

you can argue, they're the ones that probably deal with the health care system more. the heads of the family when it come to taking their kid to the doctors or dealing with this stuff. filling out the insurance forms. and they've seen a downturn a little bit in support from this important group of women. so when you look at that, and you realize, there really isn't another great surrogate there. speaker pelosi, you wotz on paper, could be but she has ever been able to connect this very important swing voting group in any election. suburban women are very important as far as which side they are leaning. and at the end of the day, michelle obama might be the best person they have to connect to these folks. >> no doubt. hey, chuck, when you sneeze, how do you sneeze? >> i'm always like this. always like this. i tell you, i have to say, you know, we've been all discussing this. if aware all going to start snaez baghdad is our elbows,

careful when you hug people. don't put your arms around people. look, my daughter knows better, they've been hammering this into them at school. >> who knew, chuck todd, part of the new psa. >> i'll do that. happy to help. >> the chuck todd psa. they're doing briefings within all of nbc universal with chuck todd teaching everyone to sneeze. thanks as always. you're great. >> thanks. now the bigger picture, michelle obama's role as first lady. her speech on health care was the most high profile push for her husband's legislative priorities. in a couple weeks from now, she will also be playing a big role in chicago's bid for the 2016 summer olympics. she'll be traveling to copen has gone enfor the olympic committee instead of president obama. carl anthony is an historian with the national first lady's library. he joins us on the phone. just on that note regarding her

speech for the summer olympics, i believe it was valerie jarrett saying her speech, there won't be a dry eye in the house. it sounds like she has something very special planned here. >> well, i think chicago means a lot to her. it is really, really, not only the roots of her parents and grandparents living there, and she of course returns to it after graduating from harvard law and could have gone anywhere. and it is also where she really provided the launch pad. the foundation, the roots in many respects. the base for barack obama's political contrary. so i think chicago is more than just a place where she lives for her. >> and we've seen the first lady. she is essentially steered clear from policy in the first months of the administration. but now we saw her speak today. we hear chuck todd moments ago, talking about her dipping her toe. not going full out with the policy speech but dipping her toe in that today. is she growing into this role?

will we see more of this from her? >> i think so. i very much think so. a couple factors we have to keep in mind. number one, you know, it takes a long time. much longer for a first lady than for a president to basically get up to speed. because with the president, they're developing policy, they're campaigning on what they're going to do if they get in. and they've already got around them policy advisers. a first lady really doesn't get, get it together. she may think and talk about it beforehand but not until after the election. then you've got the transition. the holidays, moving the furniture, keeping what do you put in storage, hiring a staff. then looking at, how you're going to play this role. so i think she has been very wise in allowing it to unfold at a pace that is natural to her. >> i'm wondering, as an historian, do you think that over the years now that we expect more from our first lady?

>> absolutely. no question that we expect more. it really started, to be honest with you, the early 20th century with the reform movement, women getting the vote and women being expected to be more involved in public life. eleanor roosevelt, world war ii, and women did their part. again, they wanted, americans wanted the white house to reflect that. the sacrifices and the volunteerism. then with jackie kennedy, lady bird johnson, you saw them taking on very specific parts of the national agenda. and whether it was something eave like historic preservation or environmental protection, there is always a political component. and i think it is interesting. michelle obama is playing a role interestingly that people don't realize this, more one that was almost perfect by pat nixon who would look at parts of the president's agenda that spoke to

her and would go out and sort of rally support for it. as opposed to some efforts she wanted to initiate that became part of the president's agenda, that she then sort of will he the way. this idea of spokesperson is actually not one that is always played by first ladies. >> carla anthony, thanks so much. >> to talk to you. >> thank you. >> i think it is so interesting, there is this question of what our expectations are of someone now, like michelle obama and will she be getting out there more. i think she will be and i think the white house knows, as chuck was alluding to, that she can do a lot for them. >> i was thinking the exact same thing. they're careful about how they want to deploy her. clearly in speaking with the first lady's office, they want to find a way where she can be more involved in policy but not be overtly political or put herself in controversial

positions. but she wants to expand her role and she is getting settled there at the white house. she is a mom in chief. she has two young girls. she also wants to step out there on issues she cares about. i think it will be interesting to watch over the next couple years with her role evolving. >> i like we're talking about her in terms of health care reform as well as the biceps in the arms. we care about that. >> which is great but i like this. >> all right, monica. an interesting story here. about a developing story out of spokane, washington. really disturbing. this known killer is on the looser in a spokane, washington. in 1987, 1987, phillip arnold paul slashed a woman's throat was acquitted by reason of insanity and was later committed to a mental institution. during a so-called field trip to the spokane county fair on wednesday, paul escaped and hasn't been seen since. >> there was a red wind breaker

over a blue t-shirt, blue jeans and he is carrying a blue backpack. >> authorities say his escape wasn't reported for more than two hours, giving him a long head start on police who continue a widespread search. joining us on the phone from spokane, sergeant dave reagan. public information office we are the spokane county sheriff's office. thank you for joining us. >> you're welcome. >> let me ask you about this story. it is very disturbing. not only because there is this very dangerous man, this schizophrenic now on the loose, but i think it raises real questions about what was he doing, if he was insane, out at a county fair? >> as i understand it, part of the process for determining who can be discharged from the hospital and who cannot, in other words, one of the treatment steps is to interject patient into public' vents. public affairs. and so the hospital, as indiana

it, regularly makes these kinds of day trips out to public events. >> but sergeant, my understanding of this story is that he was put in a mental institution. he has escaped before. that he attacked a sheriff's deputy before. so why isn't this guy battleground kept under lock and key? instead, keeping battleground put in these situations and lo and behold, he escapes again. >> it is a tough question. we'll look at that next weak. rate now our focus is on recapturing him and getting him back in the hospital. we share those concerns. why were we not alerted before they showed up at the fairgrounds? why weren't the fair staff noticed? why did it take two hours for law enforcement to be notified after this guy disappeared? those are all very good questions and questions we hope to get answers to down the road. again our focus today is finding him, putting him back in the hospital. >> and sergeant reagan, you talk

about bringing some of these people out to public events or public areas. some sort of rehabilitation. but honestly, a fair? a county fair? you might as well bring him into a preschool. this is a family event. i can't believe it. it seem like there couldn't be a worst place to take someone like this. >> i can't disagree with that. i have no idea what their policies are. their procedures are for deciding had a goes and who does not go. we have inmate work crews that go to the county fairgrounds but they're dressed in red coverall and they're screen very carefully and judged to be very low risk offenders and they're monitored very closely. so again, we share those concerns. here is a convicted murderer out in a very public, very crowd oriented, very family oriented event and we knew nothing about it. >> all right. sergeant dave reagan. thank you so much. >> you're welcome. >> monica, we've hit on a lot of the key issues, but as you point out, this is a county fair. there are kids. a lot of kid at this and this

guy is a convicted murderer? and has all these issues and he is allowed to rome free he is and cape? that's a shock. >> would you ever think you could be at a count fair and a guy like this could be right next to you? there are mom fired but that this. we appreciate sergeant reagan coming on. obviously he was not the decision maker there. it was nice for him to come on and answer our questions. coming up, the president of iran denying the holocaust just days before reaching american soil. how will this affect u.s. policy toward iran? first, mark sanford. a dead lane and more pressure on him to resign. so many arthritis pain relievers -- i just want fewer pills and relief that lasts all day. take 2 extra strength tylenol every 4 to 6 hours?!? taking 8 pills a day... and if i take it for 10 days -- that's 80 pills.

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welcome back to "the big picture." there is a battle in south carolina between the governor and his lieutenant. >> that's right. lieutenant governor andre bower is giving mark sanford a month to step down before bower said he will start his own campaign. john o'o'connor is on the phone. all right. what is this about? >> this is about lots of positioning that's going on politically hear for folks who are considering a run for governor. the lieutenant governor is not quite committed to the race yet and gave this promise that he wouldn't run if sanford resigned by the end of october in order to try to maybe speed that process along or convince governor sanford to step down. >> yeah.

he said, the lieutenant governor said this. "i'll probably announce in the latter part of october and until i announce, i'll just take myself out of the running if he'll step down but i have to start my campaign at some point." well, john, there is no indication that mark sanford will step down. >> none. he has made it pretty clear that he had no plans to resign. >> what happens next? he just continues off the this cloud that hangs over mark sanford. i understand the two aren't even talking to each other. >> i'm not certain that that is true. but they weren't very friendly before this. the two are essentially political rivals and governor sanford's way of endorsed hasn't governor bowers' opponent in the primary in 2006. so there's some bad blood there and there always has been. as for what's next, wave got lawmaker working on impeachment documents and basically, we've been told the next tame the legislature meets, which is schedule to be january, but it could be sooner, depending on if

leadership wants to call them back. that we will have an impeachment relags that is fail and the process will begin. whether it is carried out and he is removed from office is still up in the air a little bit. >> that's noteworthy indeed and they will begin the paext proceedings. from the state newspaper, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> well, it doesn't end for governor saabford. he continues to say that he is going to stay in office until the end, december participate really being pummeled by his own party. >> i think it is interesting what john o'conner said. it sounds like this story isn't going anywhere any time soon. >> up next, we'll hear from a woman who was impaled by a tree branch? yet somehow miraculously survived. this is an unbelievable story. first the shot of a layoff time manager from utah. borrowed his brother's club to attempt a hole in one at a charity golf tournament worth $1 million.

we'll check out what that. >> he almost didn't try it because he had a sore wrist. he only signed up at the last minute and obviously, he is very glad he did. >> and $1 million richer! when it comes to pain relievers, you should know, bayer aspirin is one of most studied, most trusted, anti-fever, anti-inflammatory, and anti-pain medications in the world. from pain killer to life saver, bayer aspirin is the wonder drug that works wonders.

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she brought down the house with her impersonation of ellen degeneres. dressed in a blond wig. she danced on the stage just like ellen does on her daily talk show. after poking fun, she wished degeneres the best of luck with her new gig on american idol judge. and someone is in big trouble. oprah's book club picks. they're usually kept top secret until the last moment. until they're announced on the show. not this time. the "washington post" that a book distribution company unintentionally leaked the news yesterday. say you're one of them is a check of short stories by nigerian author akpan. while it is bad news for oprah or very bad news for the person when they figure out who is responsible for that, it is always a win for the author. and in fact, my producer is telling me number 11 on amazon already. >> so that author is maybe a little bit happy about that leak because it is selling well. these next two stories are

not for the faint of heart. a north carolina man is breathing a sigh of relief after having a broken plastic spoon removed from his lung. can you believe this? he spent nearly two years suffering from bouts of pneumonia and having trouble breathing. doctors found the jagt teeth of plastic after sticking a camera down his throat. he believed he sucked in the piece while taking a drink at a fast food restaurant. >> you move on. that's why they call it fast food. i was so happy. i wanted to hug the guy, kiss him. because i could breathe. >> norah, we had the doctor on earlier. this afternoon. in that shot, the camera when they placed it down, then they realize that had they could read the word hamburger when they figured out what it was. >> the guy, i've heard this interview. the guy said it was fast food. he was skavg it down. wait a minute. how did that piece of the spoon, how did you end up swallowing

it? he said i eat really fast. this is a reminder, slow down. when you're eating. you don't want a wendy' spoon stuck in your lung for lake two years. i have another story for you, monica. this one is pretty graphic. i warn you. there is an idaho woman who is very lucky to be alive. she was impaled by a two-foot long tree him. she and her husband were out on this drive when this tree branch come crashing through this window of her truck. it took surgeons six hours to remove this 13 inch limb. i actually spoke with michelle and her husband this morning on the "today" show. >> that was in your neck. >> yes. >> when you look at that now, what do you think? >> i don't know how i'm still alive. i don't know. i don't know. >> monica, that is the most bizarre story. the doctor said that it was resting on her jugular vein. hit been just a fraction of an

inch one way or the other, she would not be alive. so they're driving out in the middle of nowhere. they drive an hour. no cell phone service themselves wait an hour to get medivacked to where the surgeons are. truly an extraordinary and bizarre story. >> oh, yeah. i could due without the pictures but i guess they tell the whole story on that one. still ahead, bill clinton on the "today" show. what he told john stewart about that, the daily show. what he told about that lunch with president obama. first, showdown with iran. what to expect from the president of that rogue nation, come back hear to america. he's coming next week. this is big picture on msnbc. um bill-- why is dick butkus here? i hired him to speak. a lot of fortune 500 companies use him. but-- i'm your only employee. we're gonna start using fedex to ship globally-- that means billions of potential customers. we're gonna be huge. good morning! you know business is a lot like football... i just don't understand...

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this is cnbc market wrap. let's go rate to the boards. we have the dow finishing up today 36 points. we had the s&p up about 3.

and we also ended up having the nasdaq up about sacks. we had a pretty good day on the market today. we had the markets finishing up higher for the week. seem to be missing hear. overall, the day was strong. we see auto executives sued there over an unpaid loan. and moving on to our next story. we also had unemployment, 42 states saw unemployment rise in july. we also had a number of states at double digit unemployment, more than a dozen. california now at a record post-war high for its unemployment. that's cnbc market minute. now back to msnbc. welcome back. i'm naunk novotny live in new

york. >> i know she lost the script there but all good stuff, getting us that information. i'm norah o'donnell here in washington. a new showdown looms at the upcoming summit here in washington, of course. we're talking about iran and its nuclear program. ahead of those talks, disturbing new comments today by iran's president. he spoke after an annual anti-israeli rally in tehran. once again, denied the holocaust. he also that confronting israel is a "national and religious duty." those comments came as israelis celebrate the jewish new area. may not time at a speech in washington state, hillary clinton urged iran to use upcoming talks with the u.s. and other powers to ease fears over its nuclear program. those talks with iran's top nuclear negotiator are set for october 1 in istanbul, turkey. >> there will be accompanying costs for iran's continued

defiance. more isolation and economic pressure, less possibility of progress for the people of iran. >> may not time in an exclusive interview with msnbc news, anne curry asked about those upcoming talks. >> iran has agreed to negotiate in what could ahead to the first significant talk between iran and the united states in nearly 30 years. what do you want from the united states? >> a new arrangement should be put in place based on new principles so that the war the directed toward peace and tranquility. we have always believed in talking, in negotiating, and that is our logic. nothing has changed. >> more ann curry's exclusive interview with the iran president coming up tonight on nbc naturely news with brian williams.

"the bigger picture" at this hour. iran will be the focus next week. president mahmoud ahmadinejad will be in new york to address the general assembly. president obama will be here. but the u.s. ambassador to the u.n., susan rice said the two leaders, they would not meet. what can we expect from mahmoud ahmadinejad at the u.n.? we're joined by michael sheer. we just heard that sound bite from secretary of state clinton. she laid out a tough bargaining position with iran dolphin we expect to hear any changes, anything different from mahmoud ahmadinejad next week? >> i think not. i think what we got today was a preview of what we're likely to get in new york in spades. the kand of stage these world here's get when they're in front of the general assembly, especially when the president is there and when our president is there and trailing with him. he has a huge stage. the world is watching and he will probably do exactly what he

did today. >> is part of the problem here, it is one thing for the secretary of state to lay out this tough position. but if russia and china don't want to be forecast they don't want to go in with us on these sanctions, ultimately how tough can we really be? and certainly, mahmoud ahmadinejad is well aware of that? >> what this really comes down to is a tough of the administration's new policy on engagement. they came in. president obama came in with the idea that you have to engage your adversaries. as up in the top of the report, they'll tray to start doing that. on october 1, we'll sit down with the iranians and several other countries. we'll tray to hash some of this stuff out. but how do you do that in an effective way when on the one hand, your partners don't necessarily agree with the sanctions, or the punishment that you want to impose, and the person you're trying to negotiate with says the kind of things did he today and is likely to repetition at the u.n. a real test of that policy. >> what we didn't hear from secretary clinton today is, if

those talks don't work, then what? >> well, and that's a real concern in israel and other parts of the middle east. they view, or they father that what iran has in mind here is a tactic of delay. you keep the united states and these other countries talking. you go back and back and back to the negotiating table, essentially giving up nothing. what that gives iran is more time to develop the ballistic missiles and the nowak weapons programs that the rest of the world is so fearful of. and that could be a down side of this policy. >> michael shear with the "washington post." thank you for your time today. >> fascinating stuff. all eyes will be on new york next week. >> as critics point out of president obama's strategy here, that ahmadinejad will use this as stalling to look like he is talking, to look like he may be doing something while secretly pursuing this nowak weapons program. monica, thank you.

up next, a bizarre season. what happened when an nbc reporter tried to do his live shot at a conservative summit in washington? a new development on this story, monica. >> that's right. we'll tell you what we learned. first the president's message on the jewish new year starting tonight. >> i want to sentence my warmest wishes for this new year. may you have a good year and may you be inscribed for blessings in the book of light. let's find out what people think of maxwell house's flavor lock lid.

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we have breaking news on a terror investigation that has been underway in new york and colorado. for days, the fez have been questioning a man. jonathan is with the station here in new york. what have you learn? >> we've learned these talks, this session has been going on all day today. it is underway as investigators and defense lawyers try to see if some sort of deal can be worked out. now during those talks, we're told that he has admitted traveling to pakistan to undergo training, and that he has admitted or spoken about being affiliated with al qaeda or with members of al qaeda. now in the days leading up to this, he and his attorney have denied that. now a spokesman for that law firm is now saying, is not commenting on this new information. zazi, as you know, the man who

drove from denver here to new york to meet with several people in the queens, new york area. that resulted in a large search in queens. no explosives found. no one arrested. no one charged. then we saw the raids in denver where they searched his apartment and also the apartment of a relative. we're told that his father is also now being brought in for questioning at the fbi offices in denver. there is nothing that suggests this time the father has done anything wrong but they are trying to piece this information together. again, a proper session. queen for a day. he gets to tell what he knows. he gets to try to see if some sort of deal can be worked out with prosecutors. and now law enforcement sources and others will have to run around to try to see if they can verify some of the information that he is offering up. this could be a process, as people williams, our correspondent, was explaining. this could take days. the talks do continue.

the key headlines that he apparently has affiliations with members of al qaeda and he traveled to pakistan for training in conversations with his lawyers over the last several days. then he traveled four times in recent time. they wouldn't detail the time. and they would not discuss with us what those four different trips were. >> and based on what you're hearing, do they think this man himself, zazi, could be a big get or is it more about what he would provide to other big fish within al qaeda? >> i think it is too soon to know. these talks are job going. the searches took place at a very early stage of this investigation. law enforcement officials are trying to figure out what his possible connections maybe. who else he might be associated with. so it is very early. on these talks are ongoing and they should continue for days. so it is unclear at this point

how big a player forecast at all. he and his lawyers publicly had denied any wrongdoing. that has changed as of today in terms of what is happening inside those offices. no public statement from the defense other than saying they have no comment on this information. >> all right. thanks so much. just about an hour ago rate here on msnbc, brian moore was harassed live on the air while trying to cover the voters value sum going on in weekend in washington, d.c. if you missed it an hour ago, take a look now. >> it's been a sort of inclusive agenda of a way to bring in more conservatives. and somebody here not liking what we're talking about right now. norah? >> it looks lake they're -- innovated guests. >> you're being rad. get out of hear. >> okay. >> there you go. >> yeah. this just went on and on and on.

the harassing. we have an update to this story because just moments after brian march finished his report, the head of the conference there, the media director, a man by the name j.p. duffy, went over and apologized to msnbc. he said he was mortified. he apologized profusely. he said he didn't want it to happen again. and then the organizer of this entire conference of the family research council, tony perkins, also personally apologized to him and said the action was inappropriate and he was going to make an announcement to the crowd that the media were invited guests were allowed there. they must be treated as such. that is significant, certainly. now as we're talking about this big summit that went on. the social conservatives have been gathering for the past three days. listening to some of the people who want to run for president in 2012 like mike huckaby, even miss former usa prejean.

according to values voter summit.org themselves include extra tolerance. countering the home sewell general in public schools. obamacare. global warming hysteria. the new face of the pro-death agenda. yep. thugocracy. with topics like those, it is fair to ask, the republican party is looking forward or looking to the past. and why didn't sarah palin or newt gingrich attend? here to face off, mark walsh co-host of left jab on sirius xm. i have to get your take on what happened. i don't know if you saw but we're getting a lot of e-mails on what happened to brian moore. he is giving his report. the media is invited in to talk about that. and some of the participants shout him down and say he is battleground rude. were those conservatives out of lane? >> well, i don't think they were

representative of the whole. one doesn't speak for everyone. at the end of the day, i think valley you a voters care about the important issues that are confronting this country. the economy and national security. those are the issues that by and large, that i think will be addressing. >> those aren't some of the topics that i just read. one of the topics was global warming hysteria. the new face of the pro-death agenda. what is that about? >> i don't know. the first time i'm seeing it. it is part of the republican base. both the republican party and democratic party have idealogs on eats side for better or worse. when you look at the party as a whole, you satisfy individuals that are concerned about the critical issues. >> let me ask you, is the future of the republican party then in order to get back into the majority status. in the white house or the congress, to be talking about issues like global warming hysteria, the new face of the pro-death general. obama care, rationing your life

away. is that the way back to the majority? >> i think the way back to majority status highlighting where this administration is going. how it is wrong for america. and i think you're seeing results. you're seeing independent voters activist away from a president they voted for you a or nine months ago. you're seeing the generic close significantly. you're seeing the political handicappers saying the republican there's pick up seats in the house next year. what you're seeing is that we are talking about alternatives to the damaging policy this is administration is putting forward. and people are listening. >> are there real alternatives for the value voters summit? >> well, what danny is probably embarrassed to admit, those are the representatives of the republican party. let me ask danny. do you believe that the president of the united states is a u.s. citizen? >> of course. >> do you. >> of course. >> well, a majority of your moirt does not. or they are unsure. this is the republican party themselves don't believe he is legitimate. those are the speeches that republicans are making bolton

inside the party and at those giant tea baggers where 65,000, that a million, 65,000 came to this nation's capital. this is the problem. danny can talk all he wants about how the poll are showing that we might lose some seats in the hoist. right now the voice of the republican party, yes, it is glenn beck, sean hannity and rush limbaugh. about the environment, about the international role. the republican party will have to pay for it somehow. >> my counsel to you, my friend, would be to talk about the policies this administration, they can use all the help they can get. they aren't selling them very well and the american people are rejecting it. as opposed to attacking republicans, should you look at the fact you have a filibuster proof majority. you control every facet of government. you are losing jobs. you made an uncreditably poor decision with regard to missile defense in eastern europe and your health care plan yurg cap in trade plan, unionization of small business, all of those are widely rejected by the electorate as a hole.

>> he is talking about what i am talking about. you are fact ally uncorrect. but you keep saying it loud enough, somehow that weird base, that evangelical way off the charts right side of the base is going to keep listening to you. about you are factually and platsz matally incorrect. >> american are for the health care plan. >> i guess that explains why independents are shifting away from you as well, correct? >> but given that there is some legitimate concern out there about the president's agenda. will the republican party's efforts to gain seats be derailed by these less civil and more exotic voices that are out there? >> well, let me ask you this. will the democrat party's majority remain in place because of the leftists and the radicals remain in place on the far side of the aisle? >> nam one. >> each party has folks on eats side of the aisle. >> name one less radical who has

that following -- >> when the net roots had their session in pittsburgh, were they representative of the sbar democratic party? i think this is a ridiculous conversation. at the end of the day -- call it a big coalition. and at the end of the day, they are focused on the political issues. you want to demonize people that believe abortion is wrong, that is entirely your right. but at the end of the day, you are what'sing mark share. the reason you're losing it is because the majority of people in this country, including independents are widely rejecting the policies that this administration -- >> and john bainer is hitler, isn't he? john boehner is a monkey? come on. >> this debate will continue. >> i appreciate you both joining us. okay? up next, we have more information that we think you should know about. we have just a few hours left. that's right. believe it or not, you could bid on a private dinner with sarah

palin. then on "hardball," chris matthews talks to david gregory about his interview with president obama this sunday on "meet the press." how to get rich, by america's health insurance companies. raise health insurance premiums 4 times faster than wages. pay your ceo twenty four million dollars a year. deny payment for 1 out of every 5 treatments doctors prescribe. if the insurance companies win, you lose. tell congress to rewrite the story.

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there's a lot going on today. here are a couple thing we thought you should know. >> the clock is ticking on your chance to have dinner with sarah palin. the former alaskan governor and former vice presidential candidate is automaticing dinner off with herself and her husband. the current bid is $60,000 --

$60,100. it will benefit raid to recovery. a charity which supports wounded veterans. $60,100. i'm looking at the bid history. there are two bid here's seem to be going back and forth and a third who is jumping in. but two folk are going back and forces. heated bidding. >> it is weird. you know what? it is for a good cause and it is for our veterans and that's what is important. and former president bill clinton stopped by to chat with jon stewart. he got more than a few laughs, especially when talking about his recent lunch meeting with obama. take a listen. >> have you also recently had lunch with barack obama. >> i did. >> you sat down. i assume he wanted to talk health care a little bit. he wanted to make -- what is that type of meeting like now? what is the expression that you have to put on your face for that meeting? >> well, you know, we only have one president at a time so i put on whatever expression he thinks

i should. i was first honored that he called and wanted to have lunch. and he was down on wall street so we ate there. we had a wonderful meeting. >> who paid? >> we split it. i didn't know we split it. i intended to treat. but i read in the paper that we split it and the press is never wrong. >> the press is never wrong. that's the story and he's stick go to it. i do wonder about the tip. usually we hear about the tip. whether you get famous politicians together, we hear about the tip and we didn't hear about it that time. >> it sounds like there might be more to that story about had a actually paid the bill. >> making the reform. president obama is making sure no media stone goes unturned. >> that's right. let's get rate to our next read a on politics with the stories we'll be heading into tomorrow. so mark murray is our deputy political editor and director for nbc news. what do you have for us? >> hey, norah, hey, monica.